Will Cristina Come Back For Derek's Funeral?

It's been almost a year since Sandra Oh left Grey's Anatomy in the Season 10 finale, but it seems like just yesterday that Meredith and Cristina were dancing it out one last time. Now that tragedy has struck Meredith again when Derek Shepherd died in a fatal car crash, she'll need her "person" the most, so will Cristina come back for Derek's funeral? There have been no rumblings from creator Shonda Rhimes about Oh returning, but given the circumstances and that ABC is airing two back-to-back episodes next week, it's clear that there will be some big moments in the aftermath.

After Oh left Grey's, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she was definitely open to coming back to the show if Rhimes asked her. "If you guys want to finish it out however you want to finish it out, I’d be more than happy to come back. And if it doesn’t fit in that way, I totally understand," she said. "I just want you to know that I’m available." At that point, she was talking about the series finale instead of a storyline in Season 11, but given the circumstances, I'm hoping that she'll take the open opportunity to be there for Meredith in her time of need.

While we count down the agonizing wait until next Thursday, I have four theories for Cristina's role in the rest of the season, ranging from a Skype dance session to a return to Seattle.

She Comes Back — But Just For The Funeral

They've been through so much together that it wouldn't make sense for Cristina not to come back. Most likely, she'd just stay for the funeral, dance it out with her, and then have to head back to Switzerland for work. However, there's also the possibility that she stays.

She Comes Back & Stays For Good

If anything could bring back Cristina permanently, it would be Meredith needing her. Phone calls just won't do, and a surprise return from Oh would be just what the fandom needs right now. Even though fans got closure when Cristina left, I'm still not over it, and their relationship is really the central, most important one on the show.

She Doesn't Return In Person, But Calls Meredith

Cristina is busy and Oh is busy, so if she could only come back via a phone call, that could work. Hopefully it would be a long video chat, maybe a few over the course of the final episodes of Season 11, helping her through her mourning. That would be better than nothing at all.

She Comes Back & Takes Meredith To Switzerland

We see Meredith packing up in the promo for the next episode, "She's Leaving Home." Those clues put together could mean Meredith is bringing her family to Switzerland to live with Cristina, Golden Girls style. She could be a surgeon there or find another profession — it wouldn't matter what she was doing as long as she was with her person.

Images: ABC; Giphy (4)